


Where Do You Think You're Going

by TheDumbestAvenger



Series: Whumptober 2020 [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Gen, Homeless Peter Parker, Hurt Peter Parker, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Post-Spider-Man: Far From Home, Protective Tony Stark, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:53:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26833231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDumbestAvenger/pseuds/TheDumbestAvenger
Summary: Peter’s been running ever since Beck revealed his identity. Everything is finally catching up to him.Whumptober ChallengeDay 5 - Prompt "Where Do You Think You're Going" - On the Run | Rescue
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Whumptober 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946023
Comments: 4
Kudos: 161
Collections: Spider-Man Public Identity Reveal, Whumptober 2020





	Where Do You Think You're Going

**Author's Note:**

> Day 5! Honestly, I can't believe my previous fics got the love they have, so huge thanks to everyone who kudosed/commented! <3000
> 
> I was about to say a slightly longer story today, but then remembered the 3000 word fic that I've not even finished writing yet, so... yeah. (Looking at you October 15th) It's still longer than yesterday though XD
> 
> I don't think there's anything to warn anyone about today, though let me know if there is!

Peter had been running for months. Running from everyone in the city who turned on him, running from Tony and May - Peter hadn’t seen them since that day, in truth, he was afraid to, afraid they’d believe Beck’s lies and turn him over to Ross. What was he running towards? Well, he hadn’t figured that out yet.

Ross sent his goons after Peter on a weekly basis; the one thing he hadn’t run away from was New York. It was all he knew, and Ross used that against him by sending out search parties to bring him in, and no doubt ship him off to the Raft for a life sentence. But Peter was still Spider-Man, outrunning a few ground-based soldiers was no task for him.

He’d holed up in an abandoned factory on the edge of the city, only leaving when he had to find food and moving every few weeks so no one would get suspicious and go snooping around. Winter started to drag in, each night leaving Peter just a little colder than the one before - not ideal for someone who couldn’t thermoregulate - so he was once again forced from the safety of his shelter in search of blankets or thicker clothes. Anything to stave off the chill wind.

Peter wasn’t an idiot. He didn’t wander through the streets in the light of day, no. He waited until nightfall, wearing his Stealth Suit - apart from the mask which, as far as he knew, was still in that Netherlands holding cell, not that it was necessary anymore - and swung across rooftops, or darted between darkened alleyways.

Now, he wasn’t exactly sure where to find blankets. And he wasn’t prepared to steal, no matter how bad things got. So he crouched behind a dumpster in an alley, thinking through his options. A tingle ran up his spine, making his hairs stand on end.  _ Ross’ goons. _

Peter shot to his feet and turned to face the end of the alley. Five armed goons blocked the exit, slowly closing in. Now for the fun part - the only fun part of Peter’s miserable life. “Hey,” Peter waved with a wide smile. “Nice to catch you again. Or, sorry, not  _ catch _ , you’ve never quite managed that.”

“It’s different this time, Spider,” one of them growled, still slowly stalking closer. They were dressed head to toe in black, armed to the teeth with whatever Ross’ latest attempt at weaponry was. Peter could practically feel waves of anger rolling off of them.

He had to admit, after months of taunting, running, and taunting some more, it was starting to get a little boring. To spice things up, Peter handed out nicknames to some of the more memorable goons. Ani - the one who insisted on calling Peter ‘Spider’ - earned his nickname from his looks. One time, Peter knocked his helmet off and caught a glimpse at his face before retreating into the night, he bared a striking resemblance to Anakin Skywalker. Pre Darth Vader, though maybe that description wasn’t too far off, either. Besides, Darth Vader was a different goon. He was a loud breather. One Peter could hear him coming from two blocks away. Those two were by far the most common goons sent his way. There was probably a reason for that, a vendetta, maybe. It was always a vendetta.

“Well, they do say there’s a first time for everything. I wouldn’t bet on it, though.” Peter shot a web to the roof of the building to his left and hauled himself up in one swift move. He jumped a few rooftops away, putting a healthy distance between him and Ani, before stopping. It would take them a while to catch up, anyway, and running was no fun when he just up and disappeared at the first sign of trouble. He’d learned that pretty early on.

Now, though, a little game couldn’t hurt. It kept his skills sharp, senses tuned-in, and, well, it gave him someone to talk to. God, Peter missed talking. He missed May and Tony who put up with whatever his latest fixation was. His heart yearned for MJ and Ned, his only real friends. But then, he’d remember MJ’s face after the news broadcast. The way she looked at Peter with fear in her eyes, hands trembling by her side. He left right then, only returning to his apartment once in the dead of night to grab clean clothes and the Stealth Suit.

Peter shook the memory from his head. Leaving everyone had been the worst part, worse than everyone think he was a murderer.  _ Fuck Beck, he ruined everything. _

Hang on, what was that? Peter strained his ears and- Yep, he was right. Darth Vader himself. His breathing, mixed with heavy footfalls, made him possibly the worst goon going, bar that one guy who’d freaked out the second he saw Peter and tried to shoot him. That guy, Peter had never seen again. Thankfully.

Darth Vader and his band of goons closed in down on the opposite side of Peter’s building. It wasn’t too unusual for two groups to be chasing Peter at the same time, but it did make things a little more complicated.

“It’s over, Spider-Man,” Darth Vader called, “Come down.”

Peter plopped himself down on the ledge of the roof, feet swinging over the edge, and rested his chin in his hands. “You know what, maybe I will.”

“Really?” Darth Vader’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

“No. Come on, man, that’s not happening.” Peter slipped over the edge, dropping down low before shooting another web and launching himself into the air, his feet practically touching Darth Vader’s head as he swung. He relished in the feeling of the chill night air bathing his face, blowing back his too-long curls. After all this was over, Peter wasn’t going back to wearing a mask.

Before Peter could make it far, something knocked him mid-air and sent him crashing into the side of a building. Luckily, he caught himself before he fell too far. He stuck to the wall and cast around, looking for whatever it was, but there was nothing. Peter hadn’t seen anything either. Could it just have been a large bird? A large, slightly blind and probably now concussed, bird? It seemed unlikely.

Below him, yet another group of goons amassed, all shouting up at him to give up. Three groups, now that had only happened in those first few weeks. Okay, so it definitely wasn’t a bird. Peter switched in flight mode, his one and only goal to escape the clutches of Ross. He fled, ignoring how his shoulder screamed out in pain with each swing, as fast as he could. But Ross had goons at every other street corner, forcing Peter to go the other direction.

He realised, with a jolt of horror, that they were herding him. Shepherding him. He tried to stray, to escape, but every time he got off course, another invisible  _ thing _ would crash into him and force him back to the path they wanted him to take.

_ Beck’s drones. _ The thought hit him like a truck. That’s what was hitting him, the shockwaves from the drones concussive blasters. How had Ross gotten access to that?  _ Tony must have given him access to Edith, to track Peter down. _

Before Peter realised it, there were no more buildings. He’d reached the edge of the city; only a sprawling field laid before him. Not even a tree to catch himself on. Peter’s arms flailed as he tumbled towards the grass, at the last second, he managed to adjust his position and rolled, springing back to his feet and- Ouch,  _ shit.  _ He’d forgotten just how much those shockwaves hurt.

He stumbled along, one leg basically out of action from his run-in with the building earlier. He didn’t have an aim, there was nowhere to go, only the useless hope that Ross’ goons would just… give up. Just turn around and go home.

_ Home. _ Peter longed for home. Not his shitty old factory with the broken windows that let rain in and disgusting fish smell that hung around like a bad - well, I think you can see where I’m going with this. So no, not the factory, his actual home. His and May’s apartment that felt too cramped when he wanted to be alone, yet too empty when he was. With the curtains that didn’t quite fit the sitting room window because Peter measured it in a hurry and that one spot on the wall where the wallpaper refused to lay flat. The familiarity, the comfort.

Instead, he was out here, limping across a field, and hoping. That hope, however, shattered when he looked ahead. More goons, on all sides, closing in. Peter considered fighting, but they were all armed with those concussive blasters. No, he’d save his strength for the opportune moment.

Ross’ men surrounded him, Peter span in a lazy circle just in case a gap made itself evident. Of course, one didn’t. Ani stepped forward, grinning maliciously. “Told you today was different, Spider.”

“I suppose there really is a first time for everything.”

Ani opened his mouth to speak again when a rumble echoed out across the field. Everyone’s heads snapped in the direction from which it came, Peter’s too. What he saw… well, he wasn’t sure if he felt relief or dread. Maybe both, yeah.  _ Both. _

Tony landed beside Peter in the centre of the group and held out a gauntlet towards Ani; words weren’t needed to make his threat clear. “Hi, Spider-Man,” he said, “I have a quick question for you.” Tony looped his hands under Peter’s arm and shot up into the sky.

“Uh,” Peter looked down at the slowly shrinking circle of goons. “Go ahead?”

“What, and I cannot stress this enough, the  _ actual fuck. _ ”

“Yeah,” Peter nodded, “I can see how you’d come to that question.”

“We’ve been looking for you for months, kid. We all have. Had to let Ross think he’d hacked Edith and track the drones.”

“So, you didn’t help him? You’re not gonna hand me over?”

Tony scoffed, at a momentary loss for words. “Does it look like I’m giving you to Ross?”

“I have to admit, this isn’t what I expected.”

“Yeah, no shit. Why did you run? Why didn’t you come to May, to  _ me. _ ”

“I, uh.” Peter squeezed shut his eyes and screwed his face into a ball. “I saw the way MJ reacted, and I guessed if that’s what she thought of me… then you’d all think the same.”

“Pete, she was in shock. Someone just told the world her boyfriend was a mass murderer and a psychopath. From what she told me you didn’t give her even a second to speak before running off and never being heard from again.”

Peter’s eyes shot open. “She’s  _ not _ my girlfriend, Mister Stark.”

“Yeah, cause that was the important take away. Listen up, I’m taking you back to the compound where firstly: you’re going to take a shower, I can smell you through the suit, second, you’re going to talk to MJ, and Ned, and May. Then we’re going to put all of this straight.”

Peter hesitated. “So, you’re not mad?”

“Oh, I’m mad, but more importantly, I’m just glad to have you back.”

A smile danced across Peter’s mouth. Finally, he had something to run towards. And he was going  _ home. _

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading, y'all!
> 
> If you wanted to come scream at me, my tumblr is thedumbestavenger!
> 
> Right, now back to finish that fic...


End file.
